MG Review: The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere by Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Karl James Mountford

Front cover of a middle grade paperback, The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere by Jaclyn Moriarty.
Cover image by Karl James Mountford, published by Guppy Books
2nd March 2023

This quirky upper middle-grade fantasy is the recount, co-written by 12 year old Oscar Banetti, of the five days that he was absent from school without permission. Having been set this task by school deputy principal Mrs Kugelhopf, wise-cracking, skateboarder, Oscar relives his adventures from the moment on a sunny Monday morning that he stepped through a portal in the skatepark and found himself in the Elven kingdom of Dun-sorey-lo-vay-lo-hey! Fortunately, the first person that he meets in this strange land is Imogen Mettlestone-Staranise, who narrates half of the chapters. I loved the style of this novel. Imogen explains that she does not go in for descriptive writing and Oscar has already made it clear that he is not studious, so the story is told predominantly in dialogue, with brisk, snappy sentences and short chapters, ensuring that it cracks along at an ideal pace to keep 11 year olds hooked.

Oscar’s entrance into the magical kingdom precipitates a tsunami of silver which blankets the elves, trapping them in their homes. After a brief loss of consciousness, Oscar is told about the shadow spell cast by the Doom Lantern Witches which necessitates a quest by any elf who escapes the silver, to find nine key holders and re-create the key which will unlock the curse. The only elf who appears to be left standing this time is a young boy, Gruffud, who is joined on his quest by Oscar, Imogen and her two younger sisters, Esther and Astrid, as well as their cousin Bronte and Alejandro (prince and former pirate who now lives with Bronte’s family). The key must be constructed from its nine fragments by 10am on Friday or all the elves will die and Oscar will not be able to cross the portal back to his own world, so the story has a great sense of urgency as the questers race against time. With puzzles to solve, magical creatures ranging from fearsome Radish Gnomes to gentle Crystal Faeries, and a constant nagging tension about who can be trusted, this is a gripping tale. Each of the Mettlestones has their own magical talent, Alejandro’s useful survival skills picked up from his days with the pirates, and Oscar’s quick wits combine to meet the challenges of the quest.

Jaclyn Moriarty writes the dialogue between the child and tween characters with great panache; the witty banter, laced with jokes, cranky exchanges during “hangry” moments as well as pride in each other’s skills and abilities is very convincing. As Imogen reflects:

Father often says that our passionate arguments are a sign of our great love for one another and incidentally could we cut it out at once.

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Added to this is the humour arising from misunderstandings between Oscar, with his high-tech, contemporary Sydney background, and the Mettlestones with their lived experience of a world where witches, faeries and trolls are commonplace and the notion of a boy wanting to carry a wheeled plank of wood is quite incomprehensible! Although handled with such a light touch, this theme of listening to another person’s lived experience and having empathy with it, was a real strength of the book for me. I also enjoyed the conceit of either Oscar or Imogen occasionally reading and commenting on each other’s chapters and I imagine this layer of sophistication will be appreciated by many readers. Amongst the other set pieces that I greatly enjoyed was a lesson in solving cryptic crossword clues prior to a very funny piece of courtroom drama.

At approximately 440 pages, with some gorgeous illustrations by Karl James Mountfield, this book would suit mature middle grade readers who enjoy complex fantasy world building and intricate storytelling. There are three previous books featuring various members of the Mettlestone family which you might want to read to fill in some of the backstories, although this book can be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I would certainly recommend The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere to primary schools for readers in Year 5 and Year 6 and also to secondary school librarians as I think this story would be enjoyed by many children in Key Stage 3. It would be an excellent summer holiday present for children making the transition from primary to secondary school.

I am most grateful to Guppy Books and Catherine Alport for my review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Beat the Backlist Review: Twitch by M.G. Leonard

Front cover of a paperback book, Twitch by M.G. Leonard, standing on a bookshelf.
Cover image by Paddy Donnelly, published by Walker Books,
3 June 2021

A long Bank Holiday weekend provided the opportunity to read and review another book from my #BeatTheBacklist challenge which is hosted by Austine Decker on her brilliant blog.

I bought Twitch as soon as it was published, being a huge fan of detective fiction and previous middle grade novels written by M.G. Leonard, the Beetle Boy Trilogy, and the Adventures on Trains series written in partnership with Sam Sedgman. I am embarrassed at how long it has taken for Twitch to climb to the top of the TBR and can only plead that the number of books I have received from publishers has buried many of my own purchases in the reviewing trolley!

Anyway, having finally picked it up, I devoured the novel almost as rapidly as the blue tits empty the sunflower seed container hanging in my garden! This is an astonishingly good middle grade novel, not only is it a perfectly plotted detective mystery, but the carefully researched and organically interwoven ornithological content makes it uniquely educational. I was incredibly lucky at my primary school in a little Hampshire village (many, many years ago) to have a teacher who was a member of the RSPB and taught my entire class to love the UK’s bird life and I think this book will do the same for today’s children. The idea of using the observational skills of a bird-watcher to turn him into a child detective is brilliant and delivered with all the aplomb that I have come to expect from this author.

Main protagonist, Twitch real name Corvus Featherstone, is an outsider and the target of bullies at his secondary school. He has no friends, but is dedicated to “birding” a passion that was passed on to him by his now deceased grandfather. He spends all of his free time at Aves Wood, which he knows like the back of his hand, and in which he has constructed a living “hide” from which he can observe kingfishers, woodpeckers, geese and the other avian inhabitants of the woodland. As term ends, Twitch is rescued from the attentions of Jack and his gang of bullies by Billy, a newcomer to the town, whom he befriends. The tension then ratchets up another notch when Twitch finds that Aves Wood is full of police officers who are on the trail of an escaped prisoner “Robber Ryan”. Soon the town is full of rumours that £5 million cash stolen from an armed raid on a security van is buried in the woods, and more than one party seems to be interested in getting their hands on the loot.

The plot has more twists and turns than a rabbit track through the undergrowth, with new-found friendships, manipulated betrayals, comic moments and heart-in-the-mouth action. Twitch is an immensely likeable character, his relationships with his mother and his elderly neighbour Amita are full of love and respect, and his journey through the intricacies of human friendships generates a great deal of empathy. The narrative practically flutters with reverence for our feathered friends, as Twitch educates Jack in the behaviour of his local birds and shows him the training routine of his pigeon squabs, Frazzle and Squeaker, so he educates the reader too. In the same way that the Beetle Boy books educated their readers on the wonders of entomology, Twitch and I suspect the subsequent books in the series, will do the same for ornithology. As many before me have said, Twitch is an essential book for school libraries, I would suggest for both primary and secondary schools, and I would also recommend it as a perfect summer holiday present for any child of 9-14 (it would be a brilliant shared read with adults too). I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did and now I am off to track down a copy of Spark!

This review is for a book purchased by me.

MG Book Review: Euro Spies by Lindsay Littleson

Published by Cranachan Publishing, 20 April 2023

Think inter-railing blended with the Da Vinci Code, written for a middle grade readership and you will have some idea of the content of this super-enjoyable, espionage adventure! Lindsay Littleson has written a (code) cracking mystery which follows three tween protagonists and their “teacher” on a whistle-stop tour of European cities, tracking down clues left behind by a missing MI6 operative. At just under 200 pages, this will enthral readers of 9+ who can participate in code-cracking to solve clues, thanks to a short guide to ciphers on the opening pages.

Samia, Ava and Francis (Frankie) have won their places on a tour of Europe through their entries to an essay writing competition and the story begins with them meeting up with their chaperone, Miss Watson, in Glasgow. Frankie and Samia immediately begin to suspect that something is amiss with the trip when they find themselves boarding a mysterious metro train which will take them to Paris, via London. Miss Watson’s odd behaviour, an outburst from train waitress Gabrielle and a scuffle in the corridor out side their bunk rooms during the night, heighten the sense that this is no ordinary school trip! When Miss Watson admits that she is in fact a spy and they are on the trail of cryptic clues left behind by a missing agent, Griff Fletcher, the children pool their skills to crack the clues and evade the neo-Nazi villains who trail them to each new city.

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable for many reasons. The child characters are fleshed out with distinctive personalities and all show character growth as they progress through the adventure. I particularly loved Frankie, a young carer to a mum with MS, who demonstrated the most chivalrous behaviour throughout; brave, kind and supportive to everyone. The fast-paced action is liberally sprinkled with geographic and historical details about the cities visited which would make this a lovely summer holiday read for children whose families might not be able to travel abroad this summer. As the famous Mason Cooley quote tells us:

Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

Mason Cooley

Each time the young agents are en route to a new country, a short quiz appears before the chapter title, adding to the engagement with the story. Teachers, librarians and parents/carers might like to know that there are some fabulous resources available to download from the publisher Cranachan Books’ website, which include a spy’s guide to Europe and some reflective reading ideas. Finally, the action is thrilling, compelling and has some spine-tingling moments but at a level that is perfect for readers of 9 and above.

Euro Spies is a book which I know one of my own children would have loved and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a captivating mystery.

I am most grateful to Antonia Wilkinson and Cranachan Publishing for my review copy of Euro Spies which I will be passing on to a young reader to enjoy.

Graphic Novel Review: School Trip by Jerry Craft

Cover image by Jerry Craft, published by Quill Tree an imprint of Harper360UK
on 27 April 2023

School Trip is the third of author and illustrator Jerry Craft’s full colour graphic novels featuring the entirely lovable character Jordan Banks. You can read my review of the multiple prize-winning New Kid which detailed Jordan’s life as a scholarship boy at the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School here.

School Trip begins with Jordan receiving the news that he has been offered a place at The High School of Music, Art and Mime; a huge deal for a boy who loves to draw comic books. Before he has a chance to process this news, the school trip allocations are posted and Jordan is delighted to learn that he’s heading to Paris with best friends Drew and Liam. Also on the trip will be Ramon, Maury, Alexandra (Girl Alex), Ashley, Samira (all of whom are likely to be great travel companions) and Andy (who acts in an ignorant, arrogant and insensitive way to anyone who does not share his privileged, white background). Some mischievous interference with the teacher schedules means that the trip is accompanied by Coach Roche and Mr Garner, neither of whom speak French and who are not in possession of the correct school credit card. It looks as if this trip of a lifetime is about to go terribly wrong…until Maury steps up and becomes the lead character in this novel.

I will state right now that School Trip will be one of my books of the year. It is an absolute pleasure to read and being a graphic novel, it is a book which you can finish reading very quickly as you are unlikely to want to put it down once you immerse yourself in Jerry Craft’s brilliant combination of art and narrative. His characters are totally believable, the expressive graphics and natural conversations bring the story alive in your mind and for me the novel certainly played out like a movie in my brain. I love the clever design switch into black and white graphics whenever we are treated to one of Jordan’s life lessons and are able to see his wise reflections on the situations he experiences. There is humour, warmth, and real character growth as students and teachers learn lessons about themselves and each other as they navigate a foreign city.

And then you can dig deeper and realise that this is so much more than an entirely enjoyable quick comic book read, for there are so many lessons that can be taken from this masterpiece. Jerry Craft is very clear about the fact that he has created books that he would have wanted to read when he was younger, featuring African American children at the centre of the story in positive, inspiring, empowering situations. At one point in the story Jordan reflects on the fact that his friends from Washington Heights do not dream of going to Paris because they have never read a book or watched a movie where a black kid travels on a European vacation. There’s an incredibly touching moment near the end where he hands his friend Kirk a gift to inspire him to travel.

There are many examples of racism and micro-aggressions portrayed throughout the story, many of which concern Andy, but I will mention a couple of non-Andy situations that caught my eye. Liam, who is from a very affluent white family, has Jordan and Drew to stay at his house the night before they head to France. His grandparents are sitting on the sofa when the boys arrive and there is the most exquisitely subtle illustration of Grammy pulling her handbag closer to her when she sees that Liam has two black friends in the house. Prior to this, there is a scene in a shopping mall when Drew realises that the shop assistant has not removed the security tag from a shirt that he has bought, but he daren’t go back to the shop to point out the mistake because he is sure he will be accused of stealing. These moments really hit home to me, a white middle-aged reader, the unfairness of being pre-judged because of skin colour and the effect that this must have as soon as children become aware of it.

Inequalities and misconceptions are explored in interesting ways and I was intrigued that even Jordan and Drew were shown to be astonished to find that Maury’s father had formerly been the boss of Liam’s father, the disbelief that a black man could be even more rich and powerful than a white man had presumably not been something they had experienced before. Fortunately for all the characters in this story, Maury’s experience of regular Parisian holidays, his fluency in French and his credit card with its generous credit limit ensures that the trip is a great success; especially when each character finds the strength to talk about their challenges and their desires. The ability to learn from previous misconceptions, to own mistakes and to make the effort to listen to others’ experiences and change as a result is best embodied (for this librarian reader) by school librarian Miss Brickner! In the same way that she starts to stack the library shelves with graphic novels and stories which feature positive representation of minoritised characters, I urge all school librarians and upper key stage 2/key stage 3 class teachers to purchase a copy of School Trip, it’s an essential read for anyone of 9 and above.

I am very grateful to publisher Quill Tree Books (an imprint of Harper 360 UK) and publicist Antonia Wilkinson for sending me a copy of School Trip to review ahead of publication on 27th April 2023.

Blog Tour: Interview with Blackbeard & Other Vicious Villains by Andy Seed, illustrated by Gareth Conway

Cover image by Gareth Conway, Published by Welbeck, April 2023

I am honoured to invite author Andy Seed to my blog today to celebrate the launch of his brilliant new book Interview with Blackbeard and other Vicious Villains. To give you a flavour of the crazy cross-examinations, here is Andy’s interview with himself…

An Interview with Andy Seed

A booky blog post by Andy Seed

As a yakky children’s author I visit loads of schools around the UK and kids ask me loads of questions, especially about my new book. So I’ve made some of them into an interview, right here.

Q: Why did you write Interview with Blackbeard and Other Vicious Villains?

A: Well, I like history for a start. The past is full of amazing people, and great true stories, and shocking events, and wacky ways of doing things. It’s just so different from how we live today. And there were just so many REALLY BAD baddies about that I thought it would be good to meet them and find out why (and how) they were so, er, villainous.

Q: How did you interview these people? Aren’t they all dead?

A: Yes, good question. Death does tend to make people go quiet – it’s not ideal to try and chat to a pile of bones or a smelly corpse. No, I am the very proud owner of a TIME MACHINE called a tranimalator. It handily translates languages too. So, I went back in time and met these dudes while they were still alive.

Q: Ha, you expect us to believe that?

A: Yes. I mean no. But how else would I have been able to get all these interviews? The publishers went ahead with the book, so they had faith in me. My mum believes it. You’ll just have to trust me.

Q: Hmmm, so who did you interview for the book?

A: Right, OK, some of my favourites were: Blackbeard the pirate himself (did you know he never actually killed anyone -he just scared people by looking ferocious); the Roman Emperor Nero (the one who threw people to hungry lions for fun); a con man called Victor Lustig (he sold someone the Eiffel Tower, ha!); and an amazingly powerful Chinese pirate called Zheng (she really didn’t like me).

Q: How do you know Zheng didn’t like you?

A: She cut my arm off.

Q: So how come you have two arms now?

A: Easy. I went back in time with the tranimalator and altered the future so that it never happened! If you read the interview, you’ll see how I did it.

Q: I thought that time-travellers were meant to never interfere with the past or there could be terrible consequences?

A: Whatever. Ha, just kidding. Yes, you have to be very careful about altering history. I mean, I interviewed Guy Fawkes in 1605, the night before he was captured hiding under the Houses of Parliament with 36 barrels of gunpowder. Imagine if I had told him how he was going to be discovered and he somehow avoided that, and he went ahead with the explosion and killed King James I. Britain’s history would be totally different. I think.

Q: Was it fun writing the book?

A: Yes, lots of fun. Dangerous, but fun. I found out so many amazing things. For example did you know that Vlad the Impaler (nasty ruler of Transylvania in the 1400s, famous for skewering his enemies on sharp poles) was sometimes known as Dracula, meaning dragon or devil, and was the inspiration for the famous story about vampires? He said he wasn’t a real vampire, by the way.

Q: Does the book have any pictures?

A: Yes, it has excellent illustrations by Gareth Conway, including a picture of me with my arm chopped off.

Q: Who might enjoy the book?

A: It’s ideal for anyone over the age of nine who likes facts, fun, history, villains, time travel, cheeky questions, shocking crimes and surprising true stories. Right, must dash, I’m going back to 1987 so I can see the last time Rotherham won a football match. Bye!

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Thank you Andy for that insight into your efforts to meet ten of the baddest baddies the world has ever known and for asking the questions that are not covered in the majority of school history lessons! I, for one, am grateful that the tranimalator, enabled you to quiz such a fearsome collection of villains with your insightful and impertinent questions and return to 2023 before your timbers were shivered, or you were forced to marry a horse!

I greatly enjoyed the flair, humour and illustrations with which this book provides insights into some familiar and no-so-familiar individuals from the past. I certainly think it will appeal to children throughout Key Stage 2 in primary schools as well as Key Stage 3 in secondary schools and would highly recommend it to school librarians as well as teachers, parents & carers. It’s a fabulous example of enjoyment and education rolled up into one perfectly portable package.

Do check out the other stops on the blog tour this week, hosted by an incredible collection of children’s book bloggers.

Review: Magic Keepers Spirit Surprise by Linda Chapman, illustrated by Hoang Giang

Cover image by Hoang Giang, published by Little Tiger Press 13 April 2023

This is the second adventure in a magical series aimed at young readers who are gaining confidence in independent reading and a book that I would recommend to primary school librarians, KS2 teachers for their classroom libraries and parents/carers of children of 7-11. Linda Chapman is one of the best authors of short, pacy books which are thoroughly entertaining and provide young readers with the opportunity to read an entire book independently, gaining the sense of achievement and joy which encourages them to continue reading for pleasure. The lovely grey-scale illustrations by Hoang Giang throughout this book, not only aid comprehension but also provide convenient resting places in the text.

The adventure itself concerns three friends; Ava, Lily and Sarah, who live in the town of Eastwold which we are told lies at the conjunction of ley lines and consequently is the site of magical occurrences. Ava and her mother have recently inherited the rambling, Victorian, “Curio House” from great-aunt Enid Pennington, a former archaeologist. The girls are fascinated by the contents of the Curio Room, a collection of mysterious artefacts, academic books and notebooks and a box containing ten different crystals. In the opening book of this series, the friends discovered the magical properties of these objects, and in Spirit Surprise they decide to investigate further. The author portrays the other-wordly atmosphere of the Curio room, which seems to pulsate with a strange energy, through the dialogue and reactions of the child protagonists to the ancient objects in the room. I really liked the way that Ava, Lily and Sarah took different approaches to the crystals and figurines, depending on their personalities, I think that children will recognise themselves or their friends through these main characters. I, of course, warmed to Sarah with her insistence on logical scientific method to record their experiments with the crystals and her insistence that the curios should be catalogued! Ava, who does not enjoy reading and writing has a natural gift for feeling the magic and only has to hover her hand above each crystal to sense its magical energy. Meanwhile, Lily discovers an ancient leather-bound notebook containing Enid’s observations on her collection of curios. As she reads aloud to her friends, they experiment with recharging the crystals by moonlight…but ignoring Enid’s footnotes leads to dramatic consequences for the flora of Eastwold!

This is an absorbing, entertaining magical adventure which I am sure will be popular with readers throughout Key Stage 2 in primary schools. The child characters and their mothers are all believable and the author does a great job of representing different types of parenting and encouraging understanding of different motives for actions and reactions. There’s a really nice touch about doing the right thing, even when you feel that a reaction is harsh or unfair, and the subsequent reward for obeying the rules is good to see. There is a sneak peek of the opening chapter of Book 3, which I am sure will whet the appetites of all Magic Keepers fans for Ava, Lily and Sarah’s next adventure.

I am hugely grateful to Little Tiger Press for my advanced copy of Magic Keepers Spirit Surprise prior to publication on 13th April 2023.

MG Review: The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries Portraits and Poison by J.T. Williams, illustrated by Simone Douglas

Cover illustration by Simone Douglas, published by Farshore, 30 March 2023

A thrilling mystery plot, a Georgian London setting and Black history; there is a fabulous blend of entertainment and education contained within the gorgeous covers of this book! Featuring real historical characters but in a fictionalised story, the adventures of Belle (or Dido Elizabeth Belle) and her best friend Lizzie Sancho will grip the attention of fans of historical mystery fiction.

Bell’s voice lights up the pages as she swiftly recounts her backstory in the opening chapter. Born “out-of-wedlock” to Sir John Lindsay, a Royal Navy Captain, and Maria Belle, a young African woman, she has been entrusted to the care of her aristocratic Aunt Betty and Uncle William. She lives with them in the luxurious surroundings of Kenwood House, where Uncle William is the Earl of Mansfield and the Lord Chief Justice, and has recently been responsible for the “Somerset Ruling” which states that no individual can be forced to leave England and be sent to work on as a slave on a sugar plantation. She has had the privileged upbringing of an upper class young lady and is clearly a valued member of the family, despite the malicious London gossip. This element of the story is based on historical fact.

Belle’s best friend Lizzie is the daughter of the owners of Sancho’s Tea Shop, a popular café and literary salon in Westminster, again another historical figure. She has been brought up amongst the revolutionary thinkers who are fighting for the emancipation of African people, she is fearless, compulsive and rather more direct than Belle. Despite their different domestic circumstances, together they make a formidable team. Their complementary skills are put to good use in piecing together the clues to solve the dual mysteries of the audacious theft of the Mansfield-Sancho portrait and an insidious case of poisoning. As readers race through the short, pacy chapters, they are provided with a wealth of historical detail on the famous artists of the day, the origins of the Royal Academy and the outrageous trend for “power” portraits. One plot line involves greedy politicians, doing whatever they can to ensure that their access to wealth is not put at risk by individuals who wish to promote equality and dignity for all; I suspect that many bright youngsters will be able to spot some parallels with modern day politics.

I admire the way that J.T. Williams has shown that Black history in England did not start with the Windrush generation, and that she has featured individuals of African descent as the main protagonists in a cleverly crafted historical mystery. The illustrations by Simone Douglas are wonderful and very apt in an MG novel in which art features so heavily. I highly recommend Portraits and Poison to anyone of 9+ who might have previously enjoyed The Sinclair‘s Mysteries, the Jane Austen Investigates books or the Murder Most Unladylike series.

Review: Wildsmith City of Secrets by Liz Flanagan, illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton

Cover image by Joe Todd-Stanton, publisher Uclan Publishing,
publication date 6th April 2023

Following swiftly on from book 1 in the series Wildsmith Into the Dark Forest, Wildsmith City of Secrets swept me away on another epic adventure that I read in one sitting. Liz Flanagan’s writing is majestic as she moves the action swiftly and smoothly between settings, imbuing the story with a sense of mythology and tugging at your heartstrings in an immensely satisfying adventure. I honestly do not know how she manages to combine taut narrative and fully-rounded characters whose emotions really touch you, in under 165 pages. I think that this beautifully crafted tale will be enjoyed by young readers throughout Key Stage 2, those who enjoy magic and mythology; those who love animals and animal stories and those who love the natural world.

The first chapter succinctly brings readers, who might have missed the first book in the series, up to speed with the situation in the war-ravaged kingdom of Gallren as it fights off the invasion by the Estrians. I feel that this is so important when many children rely on library books and cannot always read a series in order. Our main protagonist, Rowan, is hiding out with her mother at Grandpa’s cottage in the middle of The Dark Forest and is surprised by a covert visit from her father in the middle of the night. Dad has brought with him a baby pegasus which he has rescued from the Estrian soldiers who are breeding magical creatures to enlist in their army. He knows that the little foal will only survive if cared for by Rowan and her Grandpa who are both wildsmiths, with the ability to communicate with and heal animals. This is a dangerous undertaking because Estrian hunters will be trying to track down the magical creature, but there is never any doubt that Rowan, her Mum and Grandpa will do what it takes to protect an animal in danger whilst Dad heads back to the besieged city of Holderby to look after the Queen’s horses.

The author writes movingly of the growing bond between Rowan and the pegasus that she has named Mouse, which contrasts with the edginess creeping into the friendship between Rowan and Will as the spectre of envy makes an appearance. I also marvelled at the combination of short chapters, which move the action on at a pace likely to sustain children’s attention, with breathtaking descriptions of the natural world. I loved the following paragraph about the healing power of spending time in a forest:

Beneath the trees, something magical happened. She felt part of something huge and complicated. She belonged to this network of living things: trees, birds, animals, insects. She noticed her body relaxing and becoming more alert, all at the same time. On their daily walk, Rowan always stopped worrying about Dad, about the war, about finding Mouse’s herd, about whether Will would ever stop resenting her. Just for now, it was enough to breathe and walk and be with Mouse, drinking in the beauty of the morning.

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The plot contains action in a variety of settings; peril and bravery; deep friendship and callous betrayal. It is a compassionate story which expresses the bewilderment and heartbreak of separation from those we love. Rowan’s sadness at being apart from one or other of her parents give her the insight to empathise with Mouse who has lost his mother and herd. This is turn will provide young readers with an understanding of the emotions of children in parts of our own world which are affected by war and natural disasters. I must also mention Joe Todd-Stanton’s sweet drawings which illustrate the characters and action and which provide resting points in the text for young readers. I cannot recommend Wildsmith City of Secrets highly enough, it will be published on 6th April 2023, just in time to purchase as an Easter gift for children of 7 -12.

I am very grateful to Uclan Publishing and Antonia Wilkinson PR for sending me a review copy of Wildsmith City of Secrets, opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Review: Luma and the Grumpy Dragon by Leah Mohammed, illustrated by Loretta Schauer

Cover illustration by Loretta Schauer, published by Welbeck Publishing, February 2023

What child wouldn’t want to own a magical baby dragon which can disguise itself as a cute puppy whenever anyone else is around?

If you can’t own one yourself, you can enjoy reading about Luma’s adventures with her magical pet Timir in the two short stories contained within this super-readable, illustrated chapter book written by Leah Mohammed. With its large, clear font and joyful black and white illustrations throughout by Loretta Schauer, this book is perfectly pitched to bridge the gap between reading scheme and longer chapter books. What’s more, the stories themselves feature situations which will be familiar to many young children, albeit with an added burst of magic!

The first story is The Grumpy Dragon, in which Luma is excited that her new friend from school, Ella, is coming to her house for a playdate. However, Timir is sulking at the prospect of an imposter and disrupting all of Ella’s careful preparations. When Ella arrives she thinks that Timir is the most adorable puppy but to Luma, Timir’s erratic behaviour is becoming alarming, as are the strange bubbles emanating from her magic charm bracelet! Will she be able to find out why Timir is acting up before her best friend suspects that there is a problem? All will be revealed in just under 100 pages.

The second story, Nani’s Dragon, reveals that Luma’s Nani who lives next door and is the only person other than Luma to know the Timir is not actually a puppy, actually has a dragon of her own! However, when Zayan the dragon fails to arrive for Nani’s birthday party, Luma and Timir are enlisted to help search for him. All kinds of misunderstandings arise when Luma’s cousins arrive with a stray dog that they have found wandering in the street and the story unfolds with a good deal of humorous chaos. This is another gentle and fun story in which perceptive children of 5-8 years will recognise the importance of the strong bonds between humans and their pets whilst reading an entertaining tale. An excellent book to add to Key Stage 1 classroom and library collections to help children develop a love of reading.

I am most grateful to Welbeck Publishing and Antonia Wilkinson PR for my gifted copy of Luma and the Grumpy Dragon in return for my honest opinion.

FCBG Children’s Book Award Blog Tour: The Light in Everything by Katya Balen

Welcome to my stop on the Children’s Book Award Blog Tour! 

I am delighted to share a blog from Katya Balen all about her shortlisted title The Light in Everything.

The Children’s Book Award is the only national award for children’s books that is voted for entirely by children. It is owned and coordinated by the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and is highly respected by teachers, parents and librarians. It has brought acclaim and strong sales to past winners such as J.K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, Andy Stanton, Malorie Blackman, Anthony Horowitz and Michael Morpurgo, who has won a record four times. The award has often been the first to recognise the future stars of children’s fiction and has the ability to turn popular authors into bestsellers.

Who will win? Children nationwide are now invited to vote for their favourite of the ten shortlisted books. The deadline for online voting is 12 noon on Friday 12th May.  The category winners and the author of the best children’s book published in the 2022 nomination period will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony which takes place in Central London on Saturday 10th June, and will be live-streamed.

Vote online here – www.fcbg.org.uk/childrens-book-award-2023/

Over to Katya Balen who has kindly written the following about The Light in Everything.

Sometimes I worry that we’re living in a world where empathy for others is dwindling. We speak about being kind, about understanding, about listening to different ideas and opinions. But all too often, the reality is the opposite. If we think someone is difficult or if their views don’t match our own enough, we dismiss them without trying any of the above. It feels like we can have empathy and kindness and understanding, but only if we fundamentally like and agree with the people we’re offering it to.

I wrote THE LIGHT IN EVERYTHING partly as a response to this. Whilst I can’t claim to be tackling hugely divisive issues, the core is the same: two people who cannot for the life of them see what they have in common, and as a result, don’t really extend much understanding or thought for the other’s position. Tom and Zofia are very different, and they really don’t like each other. They respond to this dislike in different ways, as you’d expect. Zofia is brash and rude and loud. Tom folds in on himself – literally, in some respects, as he makes origami cranes to cope with his anxiety. But their fundamental differences stem from the same place. They are afraid. They don’t have control over their lives. They want things to be different.

In writing a dual narrative exploring their opinions, ideas and reactions, I was hoping to show the reader how two people can view the same event very differently and how neither is wrong. I wanted to show how we don’t always have to agree and react in the same ways, and how that’s okay. We can find common ground, we can work to understand. Understanding why someone behaves or thinks in a certain way is the key to empathy, and it doesn’t mean you have to agree with how that person reacts or thinks. But if we continue to reject difference of opinion, we can hardly claim to be an open, inclusive and tolerant society. When Tom and Zofia stop to listen to each other and try to understand, change happens. That’s why I love writing for children – you have an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Children are growing up in this increasingly divided world, but I hope and know that they are the key to change. That’s why being on this shortlist, voted for entirely by children, feels so special. They listen. They care. They want to understand each other. Long may it continue.

My thanks to Katya for taking over my blog today and don’t forget to check out all the other CBA blogposts which have been shared during March on a wonderful selection of children’s books blogs.